In the Valley of Tumladen
by androidilenya
Summary: Elenwë has a little surprise for Aredhel. (AU in which Turgon died on the Helcaraxë and Elenwë (eventually) builds Gondolin herself.)


**This one is the _happy_ Elenwë-lives AU. Plus femslash.**

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><p>"You still haven't told me why you dragged me all the way out here," Aredhel remarked, pausing for breath. Ahead of her, Elenwë clambered over a large boulder, then turned to offer her a hand.<p>

"You'll see," was all she said, before bounding onwards up what looked like a dried-up streambed. Aredhel followed, shaking her head. It had only been three nights since Elenwë had burst into her room, cheeks flushed and eyes shining with excitement. __We must travel east,__ she had insisted, tossing Aredhel a tunic and all but dragging her, half-clothed, from her bed. __Come __on__, Ireth, it's important!__

She'd had no choice but to join her, of course, riding out from Vinyamar just as dawn broke over the mountains. Elenwë had grinned, urging her onwards – towards the rising sun.

(Elenwë's smile came more often now, but there had been a time after Turukano's death on the Ice when Aredhel had nearly forgotten what happiness looked like on the Vanya's face. It was still a welcome sight whenever it appeared, even after so long.)

"Hurry up!" Elenwë's head popped out from around the mouth of a tunnel that had suddenly appeared in the mountainside. "This is the right way."

Aredhel dutifully sped up her pace, following Elenwë up the narrow passage. "How did you ever find this place?" Her voice echoed in the dim space.

"Oh, I've never been here before," Elenwë replied cheerfully. "Come on!"

"What?" Aredhel nearly lost her balance and had to grab on to Elenwë to keep from tumbling headfirst. "The question still stands, then," she continued, squinting ahead – was that sunlight?

"Ulmo showed me."

"Ulmo."

"In a dream."

Aredhel nodded. "Great. In a – in a dream, you say." __Well, that's a trustworthy guide for you, I suppose.__ "And is it… is whatever you want to show me close?"

"Right up ahead." Elenwë grabbed her hand, tugging her along.

They rounded a corner and Aredhel blinked, nearly blinded by the sunlight pouring in. Her first thought was that they must have walked right through the mountain, because they seemed to be in a valley entirely surrounded by massive walls of rock, cradled in the hands of the mountain range. Everything was green, and she could see the distant sparkle of running water high up on the hill that rose at the far end of the valley. The afternoon sun came in at an angle over the ridge, gilding the steep slopes of rock and lining the grassland with light.

"What do you think?" Elenwë asked, coming up behind her and looping an arm around Aredhel's waist.

"It's beautiful."

"Beautiful enough to build a home in, do you think?"

Aredhel glanced sideways at her. "What do you mean?"

"That dream I told you about. Ulmo said – well, it's always good to have a hidden place, especially when you live in a constant state of war, and this is about as safe as you can get – I mean, __look__ at it." She gestured with her free hand, excited. "It's perfect." Her hand dipped into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper. "I've sketched out a few designs that I wanted Idril to look at – you know how she's so wonderful with that kind of thing? – but a city right up there on that hill would work well. And I wanted you to see it, so I could – you know, ask if you wanted to––"

She trailed off, flushing, and Aredhel felt a grin spreading across her face.

"Yes?"

"If you wanted to help me rule it," Elenwë finished, all in a rush, and there was a sudden lightness in Aredhel's chest, happiness and love and breathless exhilaration all rolled up into one. She threw her arms around Elenwë and swept her off her feet, spinning her around and around. Elenwë squeaked, blushing a deeper shade of red.

"Of __course__ I do," Aredhel laughed. "I couldn't let you run off and start a secret realm all on your own, now, could I?"

Elenwë placed a hand on either side of her face and kissed her full on the mouth, the paper falling unheeded from her grasp. "I knew you'd like the idea," she said when they came up for air. "We can go back and get started on it right away."


End file.
